This invention relates generally to multi brand, multi device remote control transmitters and specifically to a method of recovering the various brand codes for which the transmitter is programmed.
Remote control transmitters of the above type include programmable memories that have control signal code information for a variety of controllable devices from a plurality of manufacturers stored therein. The controllable devices, i. e., the devices that the transmitter can contro, are generally a television receiver, a VCR, a cable box and one or more auxiliary devices, such as a CD player. The various devices (which correspond to the various transmitter operating modes) are selected by a switch arrangement on the transmitter, with an indication of the selected transmitter operating mode being given to the user in the form of illumination of an LED. The user is provided with a listing of manufacturers for the various devices that identifies one or more brand code sequences for accessing the transmitter's programmable memory to configure it to transmit the appropriate control codes for the selected device. The brand code sequences usually comprise three digits. Programming is accomplished by entering a programming mode, keying in a brand code sequence and testing the transmitter to see if the selected device responds to the transmitted control code. In many instances, more than one brand code sequence is listed for a manufacturer and the process of finding the correct brand code is often tedious.
Some transmitters have an Auto Find feature, in which a brand code is not entered, but rather a series of power commands is used until the selected device responds to the transmitter code. Multi brand, multi device remote control transmitters have been in use for a number of years and have greatly contributed to the reduction of clutter and confusion that often results when a number of remote control transmitters is required to control various consumer products that are located in the same room.
There are often times when it is desired to know the brand code that is programmed into a remote control transmitter. Since the brand codes can be changed, failure of a device to respond to a transmitter may be due a failure of the transmitter, failure of the device's control signal receiver or a wrong brand code programmed into the transmitter. In some transmitters that have an LED display, the programmed brand code may be shown on the LED display when the brand code is read out. The present invention enables read out of the programmed brand code in a transmitter that does not have an LED or equivalent type display.